Crispy Trail Mix Cupcakes

So the title is a little misleading. I did use a muffin tin so they are in the shape of cupcakes, but that is about all. I wanted to make a healthier rice krispy treat for my kids and stumbled across several trail mix rice krispy treats, none of which had ingredients that my kids could eat. So I made one up that my kids could have and it turned out great. I am really excited about them getting home from school today to eat them up, that is if there are any left to eat up!

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. Earth Balance, soy free

4 cups mini marshmallows

1/2 cup Sunbutter natural sunflower seed spread

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups Nature's Path organic whole grain Crispy Rice

1 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Oats

1/2 cup organic raisins

1/2 cup organic dried tart cherries

1/2 cup organic raw sunflower seeds

Directions:

Melt Earth Balance over medium heat in large saucepan. Add marshmallows and stir until melted completely. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and sunflower seed spread.

Add Crispy Rice, oats, fruit and seeds. Stir until everything is mixed well. Oil 12 muffin tins and them press mixture down into cups. I also oiled my hands to make sure the mixture did not stick to my hands. Once they firmed up a bit I removed them from the cups and placed them in paper muffin cups. They will sit in my refrigerator until the kids get home from school.

Will, Liam and I all loved it. We will be making this snack over and over again for an after school snack.

Change in Plans

Well, my good intentions to keep up with this blog every week have fallen through. We got tests results back on my son that put a halt in my life. He is allergic to WAY more than we had previously thought. The list is as follows:

barley, corn, cucumber, currant, date, eggplant, garlic, grapefruit, lettuce, malt, cow's milk, goat's milk, millet, mustard, onion, orange, green pepper, red pepper, pimento, rice, rye, rape seed (canola), soy, thyme, tomato, wheat, watermelon, baker's yeast, brewer's yeast, all nuts except pecan.

Just about everything I cook has onions, garlic and bell pepper in it. I have had to abandon everything I knew about cooking and start from scratch. Fortunately there are a few really good websites out there and several books that I am in the middle of. I will start posting my new recipes and all those links and books very soon. I have gotten past the shock stage and have finally stopped crying every time my son asks for a "mushin" (muffin). Now I am fully stocked with all of the crazy flours we will soon become accustomed to and am tinkering with them in the kitchen.

Dinner Rolls

Description: I have been making these rolls for almost 10 years now. I made the alterations for my children's food allergies only last year and we still love these rolls. I hope you will try them with your next dinner.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup flour, sifted

1 package yeast dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water

1/3 cup canola oil

1 cup warm water

1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed dissolved in 2 Tbsp. hot water

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup flour, sifted

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour, sifted

1 Tbsp. wheat germ

Preparation: Mix together one ingredient at a time, in order listed, until complete. Cover and let rise in warm spot until doubled. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray (read labels). Roll out on floured surface in two batches. Use biscuit cutter to make round discs. You can fold the discs in half and pinch sides together or just leave in disc shape. Put on prepared cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Cover and let double again. Preheat oven to 350 once rolls have doubled. Remove cover and bake until bottoms of rolls are slightly browned, about 10 minutes. Check after 8 minutes because once the tops are golden, the bottoms will be too dark. These rolls freeze very well. It makes about 3 dozen.

Alterations: You can make this all white if you like. It might make the transition to whole wheat a little easier if you start there and slowly add a little in at a time.

Rating: This gets 5 stars from my crew and to everyone else I have given this to.

Pineapple Zucchini Bread

Description: This is a great bread sliced right out of the pan. It is warm and gooey and so good! I usually make 2 loaves at a time because we eat the first one right out of the oven.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed dissolved in 2 Tbsp. hot water

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

1 tsp. white vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cups grated zucchini, about 2 small

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup crushed pineapple in juice

Preparation: Preheat oven to 350. Put ground flaxseed in the hot water and set aside for a few minutes. Shred zucchini in food processor. Sift flours and baking powder together. Set aside. In mixing bowl, combine salt, cinnamon, sugar, oil, vinegar, vanilla and zucchini and flaxseed. Slowly add the sifted flour and baking powder to the wet mixture. Once well combined, add raisins. Stir again. Spray loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray (read labels) and fill loaf pan about 3/4 of the way full. Bake in oven for 50-60 minutes.

Alterations:You can make these with or without the pineapple. If you don't add the pineapple you will want to add about 1/4 cup water or whatever kind of milk you use. If your child is not allergic to walnuts I would highly suggest adding 1/2 cup to the batter with the raisins.

Rating: This gets 5 stars from my crew. They love muffins of any kind and don't even care that there is zucchini in them.

Minestrone

Description: This is a favorite of mine when the weather gets cooler. This recipe makes a ton of food, so it is great for large gatherings or for freezer meals. This makes 3 meals for my family.

Ingredients:

1-2 Tbsp. EVOO

2-4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 onion, chopped

1/2 head of green cabbage, chopped

1 large zucchini, chopped

2 medium carrots, sliced

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 package frozen spinach

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 can garbonzo beans, drained

1 can kidney beans, drained

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. oregano

1 Tbsp. basil

1 tsp. salt

1 cup white wine (I like Pinot Grigio)

4 cups chicken broth

4 cups beef broth

46 ounces tomato juice

1 box small, shell pasta

Preparation: Don't feel overwhelmed by the ingredient list. This comes together so quickly! First you want to heat the oil in a very large pot, about a 12 quart pot. Cook onion and garlic in hot oil until onions are translucent. Add all the seasonings and stir around. Add all the beans and vegetables to the pot. Give a good stir before adding in the broths, wine and tomato juice. Stir and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 1 hour. Stir in pasta and cook for another 30 minutes. The pasta will absorb a lot of liquid, so if it gets too thick you can add a little more broth or water. Be sure to test for salt and pepper before serving.

Alterations: Try different wines out and see which one you like best. Other than that, I can't really think of any alterations. Do make sure you read the labels of the broths you get for unwanted ingredients.

Rating: My crew gives this 4 stars simply because my son, the picky eater, will only eat the beans and pasta out of the bowl when I make this. I however, crave this and will eat it day after day!

Brown Rice

I have recently started using brown rice exclusively. I just couldn't get it right most of the time. So I decided to research methods of cooking brown rice. I tried many of the recommendations, but only one worked every time I tried it. I thought I would share it in case any of you have been hesitant to make the switch for the same reasons. It does take longer than white rice, but it is worth it.

Pour 5 cups of water and 2 cups of rice into a pot. Bring to a boil. Boil for 25 minutes then turn off heat and cover for another 20 minutes or longer. Drain the rice like you would pasta in a strainer. It is ready to serve.

Bushaloni in Red Gravy

Description: I grew up with an Italian mother who referred to marinara as red gravy. Don't ask, I have no idea why! It is SO easy and delicious despite it's simplicity and inexpensive cut of meat.

Ingredients:

4 cups marinara

1 or 2 round steaks

1/2 onion sliced thin

1/2 bell pepper sliced thin

salt and pepper

cooking thread

Preparation: Lay steaks flat on cutting board and remove excess fat from sides. Season with salt and pepper, flip over and season other side. Then spread a thin layer of onions and bell peppers on top. Roll meat from one side to the other like a burrito. Tie up with cooking thread and drop into a pot of marinara. This will need to cook for 4 hours or longer. It works wonderfully in a crockpot! The meat will be so tender that you can cut it with a fork. You can serve this over spaghetti, spaghetti squash or rice noodles. Enjoy :)

Alternatives: If you don't have a dairy allergy go ahead and sprinkle parmesan cheese on the steak before you roll it up. (That is how my mom used to make it.)

Rating: This gets 5 stars from my family and is frequently requested during the week. What does your crew think?